Overview
- The Jharkhand High Court granted a divorced woman Rs 30 lakh as permanent alimony and directed that the amount be calculated across an estimated 42 years based on her assessed needs and the husband’s earning capacity.
- The Jharkhand bench said courts must not rely on assumptions such as a wife living with her parents and must first determine actual or notional income before apportioning maintenance among dependents.
- The Bombay High Court rejected an interim maintenance plea from a US‑based petitioner who earns a gross USD 8,700 per month, holding that high living costs abroad do not justify Section 24 relief when the applicant has substantial independent means.
- Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act covers interim maintenance to keep a financially weaker spouse able to defend proceedings and meet litigation expenses rather than to preserve a prior marital lifestyle.
- Judges across the cases explained that courts can infer or compute notional income when earnings are concealed and must balance the claimant’s needs with the obligor’s other liabilities, a standard that could shape future alimony awards and pending appeals.